Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for. Socrates

People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy. Oliver Goldsmith

Let us strive to improve ourselves, for we cannot remain stationary; one either progresses or retrogrades. Mme. Du Deffand

The safest principle through life, instead of reforming others, is to set about perfecting yourself. B. R. Haydon

Change yourself and fortune will change with you. Portugese Proverb

What you dislike in another take care to correct in yourself. Thomas Sprat

The highest purpose of intellectual cultivation is to give a man a perfect knowledge and mastery of his own inner self; to render our consciousness its own light and its own mirror. Frederich Leopold von Hardenberg

What are the aims which are at the same time duties? They are perfecting of ourselves, the happiness of others. Immanuel Kant

Whenever you see a man who is successful in society, try to discover what makes him pleasing, and if possible adopt his system. Benjamin Disraeli

A scrap of paper and a stub of a pencil beats the best memory. Michael Wardinski

Each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity. Marie Curie

Every man has in himself a continent of undiscovered character. Happy is he who acts as the Columbus to his own soul. Sir J. Stephen

Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy

I believe that true identity is found in creative activity springing from within. It is found when one loses oneself. Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott

Discontent is the source of all trouble, but also of all progress, in individuals and nations. Berthold Auerbach

The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none. Thomas Carlyle

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Henry Ward Beecher

It was the sacred rule among the Pythagoreans that they should every evening thrice run over the actions and affairs of the day. Dr. L. Watts

Never neglect an opportunity for improvement. Sir William Jones

Remedy your deficiencies, and your merits will take care of themselves. Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Everyone has naturally the power of excelling in some one thing. Proverb

Circumspection in calamity; mercy in greatness; good speeches in assemblies; fortitude in adversity: these are the self-attained perfections of great souls. Hitopadesa

Practice yourself in little things, and thence proceed to greater. Epictetus

The farther a man knows himself to be free from perfection, the nearer he is to it. Gerard Groote

If you have great talents, industry will improve them; If moderate abilities, industry will supply their deficiencies. Nothing is denied to well-directed labor: nothing is ever to be attained without it. Sir Joshua Reynolds

There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. Hindu Proverb

What you are must always displease you, if you would attain to that which you are not. Saint Augustine

Live up to the best that is in you: Live noble lives, as you all may, in whatever condition you may find yourselves. Henry W. Longfellow

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Self Improvement Quotes and Sayings

A Spiritual Family Reunion to Co-create a New Future

with Barbara Marx Hubbard & co-teachers Patricia Ellsberg & Patricia Albere

LIVE Advance September 13 18, 2015 Earthrise Campus at IONS in beautiful Petaluma, California

If so, were delighted to share that Barbara and her closest colleagues will be offering a live, intimate Advance for you to go to the next level of your evolution and vocation of destiny as well as to commune, awaken and co-create with extraordinary souls that share your commitment to conscious evolution.

This Evolutionary Family Reunion, to use Barbaras words, will immerse you in the latest insights and evolutionary practices as we continue to pioneer new possibilities for humanity.

Over five beautiful days, we will divine the design of evolution in our lives and in the world and establish ongoing co-creative relationships in a true communion of pioneering souls.

Youll know yourself as a sacred evolutionary being that is part of an emerging co-creative culture, through the mirroring of the group and embed this template in your bones.

Receiving this template is no small thing. It will act as an evolutionary accelerator as your body, heart and mind remember from this point forward what it is like to relate to others from your deepest Essence and engage in co-creative soul collaborations.

This experience is, in a word, liberating. It frees you from social facades and lesser agendas, giving you the permission to show up fully, radically, authentically as YOU not just a separate egoic self but a Universal Self in all your glory. A radiant soul, on a mission.

As the group welcomes you into your unique expression as an awake, empowered evolutionary, you will learn to call others into their authentic divine expression as well.

True to Barbaras passion, this gathering will very much be a co-created experience with Patricia Ellsberg also teaching, along with YOUR full co-creative participation.

From the intimate group that attends, Barbara aims to form a cohesive core of conscious evolutionaries that can act as a kind of advanced guard for the birthing of a new era, each working in teams to manifest your vocation of destiny.

Youll experience what it means to work in evolutionary pods and discover a true sense of spiritual family, forming long-term bonds that can nourish you for years to come.

Well also be activating kundalini practices, which are designed to awaken your evolutionary energy and accelerate your personal transformation, giving you more power for your vocation of destiny.

It will be unforgettable.

Lets hear from Barbara in her own words:

I am writing to invite you to the first Evolutionary Family Reunion! This is the beginning of a global communion of pioneering souls. We will be creating a new sacred space for humanity.

As Agents of Conscious Evolution (ACES), we are called now to explore, nurture, and give birth within ourselves and the world to a new human and a new humanity. We are called to shift the system from fear to love before a collapse occurs.

As an ACE, you KNOW that our crisis is a birth. We can and indeed MUST go the whole way in our lifetime. We are all members of Generation One. This is it. Now is the time. We are the ones.

It is our purpose, our joy and our privilege to be alive right now as the tipping point of this Shift of the Ages to the new humanity.

During this Advance, we will join together on an ecstatic journey to become a "new human," which is nothing less than your full potential self at the dawn of the new era of conscious evolution. We will celebrate being "born" into the new field of consciousness arising on Earth, which is generated by the emerging humanity.

Be prepared to enter a resonant field so powerful that you never need go back again to a sense of separation.

Together, well step across the threshold to the next stage of YOUR Conscious Evolution.

You are evolution, self-aware. You have inherited the powers of co-creation. This is the promise of all the great faiths, now being offered to us. In the course of our time together, you will do many things, such as:

As we join in evolutionary communion and are each liberated to speak the inner words of Spirit in our own language, the walls between us will start coming down. We will feel the ecstasy of the actual collective awakening of our species god-like powers infused with unconditional love.

We will begin to feel the Noosphere getting its collective eyes through US, and infuse the awakening nervous system of humanity with your love and creativity.

We will give reality to our visions and make them real in our world.

Patricia Ellsberg and I are so delighted to join together to offer this as THE most extraordinary Advance that we have ever conceived.

We ourselves have been experiencing an embodiment of the Universal Human. We have been practicing our own conscious evolution. We are no longer teaching about the evolution. We are transmitting and embodying the Impulse of Evolution within ourselves, to all participants. We are literally creating a morphogenetic field of shared resonance and inner expression.

During this Advance we invite you to do the same, as we become voices of evolution together, ever more potent, connected pioneers of the emerging world.

Join us for this five-day sacred journey as members of a consciously evolving family of humanity.

The highly experiential format is designed for Agents of Conscious Evolution like you to activate every level of your body, mind and soul. You will receive a profound initiation that will help you awaken to a life rich with community one that is filled with joy, love and service to the important changes of our times.

All of this will take place in a beautiful and healing setting. The Earthrise Retreat Center in Northern California sits on 200 acres of rolling oak-studded hills, offering stunning views and sublime peacefulness wholesome, healthy food, made from ingredients from the campus gardens, is also included! It is the home campus for The Shift Network, and youll have a chance to personally connect with many of the leaders youve seen from a distance as well.

If you have yearned to go beyond glimpses of an expanded state to a life in which you sustain this higher frequency and create your life and larger work from there no matter WHAT your age this is the event for you.

Note that this special retreat is the only one that we will offer in 2015 with Barbara and is limited to only 50 registrants. We expect all the slots will be taken by the more than 3900 graduates of Barbaras programs, so if you are feeling called to participate, please read the detailed description below and sign up right away to reserve your spot.

We invite you to the greatest adventure on Earth!

Sunday Evening

Welcome to the Adventure!

On this first evening Barbara will set the scene, touch on aspects of her own evolutionary experience since Birth 2012, and invite participants to share their own experiences since saying YES! to the greatest evolutionary adventure of all time.

The journey will begin with powerful, guided meditation with Patricia Ellsberg and an invocation of intention for the subsequent five days, and beyond.

Our Evolutionary Family will form. Well explore ways that we can empower each other to become our full potential selves during the advance and when we step out and into the world as active pioneers of the New Humanity.

Music will help stimulate the Impulse of Creation and together we will affirm our intentions, lovingly signalling to it that we are ready to emerge AS higher consciousness.

Old memetic codes that have destroyed millions of human beings and entire species of animals and plants are dying. In their place, new memetic codes are arising on which to build our work and success as Conscious Evolutionaries.

On Day 1, Barbara will call upon the impulse of evolution to take us the whole way in becoming Universal Humans. Patricia Ellsberg will establish the resonant field in which we will envision the evolution of our species at the dawn of the first age of Conscious Evolution.

Well evoke the power of the creative force of universal evolution within us, animating and activating it as never before. Youll learn to form Universal Human Pods small group structures that enjoin us and act as lightning rods for the divine.

Midday, youll have time for lunch, silence and rest, walks around the stunning center grounds, and contemplation, journaling, and connecting with other members of your new Evolutionary Family.

The afternoon will be dedicated to Eros, Teleros and the Universal Love Story. Well deepen our exploration of Conscious Evolution as the new worldview of optimum potential for humanity, and cultivate resonance and revelation for its manifestation.

Barbara will share from her forthcoming book The Universe: A Love Story, coauthored with Marc Gafni and Daniel Schmachtenberger. Together, we will discover that love is the direction, process, purpose and promise of evolution itself.

In the evening, well utilize the Wheel of Co-creation as a contextual social symbol for the next stage of our evolution and a new form of social love and cocreate a sacred space to quicken our own evolutionary potential.

On Day 2, you will dive into an evolutionary approach to the fundamental problem facing humanity the exaggerated illusion of separation.

The problem facing humanity from the beginning has been an abnormal illusion that we are separate from Spirit, nature and each other.

Each of us has within ourselves a whole community of wounded, local selves that feel separate from Essence, acting as inner critics and goading to us toward improvement yet often upsetting us deeply and distracting us from our Essence.

Barbara will use her story of being dominated by her compulsive local selves and discovery her Essential Self to describe the nature of the Essential Self and the local selves.

Rather than abandon, medicate or expel the local selves, youll learn practices for healing them, releasing them from the excruciating pain of separation and uniting them with the Beloved.

Well engage in a sacred ceremony that will invite the Beloved to take dominion, as well learn how to form a Universal Human Pod, a revelatory way of sharing and speaking as Essence.

On the morning of Day 3, you will begin to embody your full potential self. Barbara will transmit the 52 Codes of Conscious Evolution in the voice of the Universal Self, also known as The Word, and invite you to do the same, making what was once spirit, flesh.

This aural alchemical process will create a resonant field to hold the highest frequencies of being for everyone present and that will extend to the larger, emerging Evolutionary Family.

In smaller pods, youll share one of the Codes and attempt to maintain the frequencies of deeper communion and communication as a steady state, a vital capability as you go forth in the world as a New Human.

In preparation for the afternoon, well explore the process of becoming a wholly integrated Universal Human, deepen our work in the Universal Pod and fuse with our Essential Selves.

Having worked with the Universal Self on the personal level, the afternoon will be dedicated to interbeing. Patricia Albere, founder of the Mutual Awakening Process will guide us in an experience of the Universal Self as a collective reality.

According to the Story of Creation in the Christian tradition, On the 7th Day God rested.

On Day 4, we will act out a new ending to the Story of Creation on Earth, expressed in Barbaras inspired myth, 8th Day of Creation, when humanity woke up at the Tree of Life with the powers of gods.

During the reunion of the Cosmic Family, Lucifer goes home to God and The New Adam and the New Eve experience the Sacred Marriage at the Tree of life, reclaiming the Garden at the next stage of evolution.

The peoples of Earth are invited to place their gifts in the Book of life. A grand celebration occurs.

This is a call for actors in a new play to come forth upon the stage of history. In the afternoon, well participate in a dramatic reading of the Cosmic Family Reunion, with an inspired cast taking part in bringing alive this new ending for all of Creation.

On Day 5, you will experience you and your new Evolutionary Family already being born as a universal species into a universe of infinite intelligence and love.

The New Humanity has arrived...

As the resonance builds, we envision a world of light, innovation and creativity and help manifest entirely new systems and technologies that allow every living being to thrive.

Stephen Dinan, CEO of the Shift Network will join us to share more about his Vision 2020 in the context of evolutionary potential of the Wheel of Life.

Together, well envision vast celebrations of the arrival of ONE, Global Family, as well as our next steps on this Evolutionary Adventure, leading up to 2020, the next big milestone for the New Humanity.

If you are an evolutionary and you are riding the waves of deep change in this changing and challenging world and you want to make a difference and contribute to a more peaceful, joyous and loving world, you dont want to miss the insightful, evolutionary and loving teachings and sharing of a wonderful role model for conscious evolution that is our dear beloved Barbara Marx Hubbard and the wonderful and visionary friends she teaches with. You are not alone in your evolutionary consciousness and sharing with an enlightened community of kindred spirits makes all the difference in the world. ~ Adriana Colotti Comel, Mexico City, Mexico

I find myself marveling at Barbaras capacity to be both authentically living from her Essence, while also allowing her most vulnerable human self to be present. She is a great model of inspiration for what it means to live with passion and enthusiasm, at any age. Just being in her presence (her laugh!) consistently fills me with joy. And WOW, her guests include leading edge evolutionists that share relevant wayshower skills, but more importantly, ignite powerful ripple effects through the participants to co-create a hopeful, collaborative, sustainable future. ~ Celeste Hamman, Austin, TX

One of the biggest insights has been to see how much great wonder and passion is happening across the globe. To learn about and connect with these amazing people has been life changing. The weekly sessions are an integral part of my week and I can feel the transformation becoming more embodied. Each week I connect with someone or something that deeply moves me, and I can feel the change permeate my being. >~ Nikki Thompson Roma, Queensland, Australia

Being with Barbara on this marvelous journey is far-reaching, exciting, challenging, and non-threatening. It will surface more questions and give you tools to accompany them into the next cycle of evolution and personal transformation. ~ Pam Falkowski, Vancouver & Long Island

Barbara was for me to teacher that appeared at exactly the right moment while I am in an exciting, inspiring but at times also confusing and overwhelming transition in my life. Barbaras teachings really made me so much more aware of my interconnectedness to all human beings on the planet and empowered me to make my biggest contribution and enrich my life at the same time. Life transforming! ~ Anna Herremans, Panama City, Panama

Through the past months with Barbara, her luminary guests and my evolutionary circle I have come into a much deeper knowing of my own soul calling...I clearly know that the time spent in communion with her and others has brought distinctions for me as to what my next steps will be along my path and has inspired me to move forward and declare who I am in my fullest expression. ~ Gaye Abbott, Austin, TX

Barbara has guided me to look for what is good. To accept that the old paradigm is crumbling and to let it be.. and to focus our attention on what is working ... and now eventually becoming innovative, exploring new ways of being and thinking that support a precious new paradigm that we the people are co-creating together... and it feels good.. People used to talk about how we are all one and I didnt really get it... I get it now.. From an evolutionary perspective we are now REALLY recognising ourselves as a whole organism with an evolving consciousness ...we have the power to direct our future ....and that is exciting... If you would like to more deeply connect with your passion, your vocational arousal...feel more empowered... and contribute to co-creating a world that is compassionate, caring, just, loving creative and sustainable, then get involved... you will be pleased you did! ~ Mia Peace Cairns, Qld Australia

Barbara Marx Hubbard is co-founder and chairperson of the Foundation for Conscious Evolution. An evolutionary educator, speaker and social innovator, she is the author of six books communicating the new worldview of conscious evolution, including the bestselling Birth 2012 and Beyond.

In 1945, when she was 15 years old, the first atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. This terrible act prompted Barbara to ask the fundamental question: What is the meaning of our new power that can be used for the good? And What are positive images of the future equal to these new powers? This defining moment propelled her on her lifes quest to find answers to these questions. The insights she has gained has led to her definitive message of hope that our crisis is a birth of a more universal human and universal humanity.

As a co-founder of The Evolutionary Leaders Council she is co-chairing with Andrew Cohen a global dialogue on The Meaning of Conscious Evolution. Barbara is also the subject of a recent biography by Neale Walsch entitled: The Mother of Invention: The Legacy of Barbara Marx Hubbard and the Future of You.

She is currently the producer and narrator of an award-winning, on-going DVD series entitled Humanity Ascending: A New Way through Together. Part One: Our Story, translated into seven languages, has been selected for the prestigious Spiritual Cinema Circle. Part Two: Visions of a Universal Humanity, now brings together cutting-edge scientific, social and spiritual visionaries to create a positive vision of our future equal to our new capacities.

In 1984 her name was placed in nomination for the vice presidency of the United States on the Democratic ticket, calling for a Peace Room as sophisticated as our war room, to scan for, map, connect and communicate what is working in America and the world.

As a citizen diplomat in the former Soviet Union during the 1980s she co-chaired a number of Soviet-American Citizen Summits, introducing a new form of conferencing called SYNCON to foster synergistic convergence. This model brings opposing groups and functions together to seek common goals and match needs and resources including the growing edge of human capacities, spiritual, social and scientific/technological of the whole system.

Patricia Ellsberg is a social change activist, workshop and tele-seminar leader, life e coach and public speaker. In 1971, she helped her husband, Daniel Ellsberg, release to the press the Pentagon Papers, a top secret history of US involvement in Vietnam, which helped end the Vietnam War. The Oscar nominated documentary, "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers," tells the riveting story of this era and Daniel and Patricias role in changing history. A central theme of her life has been bridging spiritual experience with social activism. Working closely with her sister, Barbara Marx Hubbard, in furthering social transformation through Conscious Evolution, Patricia guides people to make a shift from ego to essence, so they live with greater joy, purpose and meaning. Patricias special gift as a coach is transmitting and helping people access a profound sense of joy and wellbeing through the artful use of guided meditation. She is currently coaching and teaching The Emergence Process and her own teleseminars on the theme of Finding Mother-Love Within.

Stephen Dinan is the CEO of The Shift Network and a member of the prestigious Transformational Leadership Council and Evolutionary Leaders group. As the former Director of Membership and Marketing at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, he was the driving force behind the Shift in Action program. He is also the author of Radical Spirit(New World Library), and a forthcoming book Sacred America, Sacred World. Stephen directed and helped to create the Esalen Institutes Center for Theory & Research, a think tank for leading scholars, researchers, and teachers to explore human potential frontiers.

Patricia Albere is the founder of the Evolutionary Collective and an internationally known contemporary spiritual teacher and author. Her unique discovery of the essential components that create an awakened we space is transforming our understanding of what is possible in the space between us and in creating new fields of higher collective consciousness. Her work creates a powerful field of shared consciousness that reveals previously unimagined potentials for human development that can and are moving humanity far beyond the limits of personal growth.

Our gathering will be hosted at EarthRise, a beautiful, semi-rural conscious living center located within the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) campus. This is also the office headquarters for The Shift Network, and youll have an opportunity to engage with senior Shift leaders during the time with Barbara.

Enjoy being amid 194 acres of rolling hills, where hiking trails meander through pristine native live oak woodlands and the surrounding open space offers panoramic vistas of the California landscape. A beautiful meditative labyrinth made of river stones lies high on the hill overlooking the valley below.

Other special features include a beautiful permaculture garden that provides fruits and vegetables for the kitchen, a meditation hut nestled in a peaceful oak grove, a sweat lodge, a fire circle and multiple sitting areas for quiet contemplation.

Local ingredients are the inspiration for the cooking and include luscious organic fruits and vegetables, free range poultry, hormone-free meat and dairy products and extraordinary cheeses. They use organic produce from local farmers and their own permaculture garden whenever possible. The chef draws upon flavors and techniques from around the world to create a diverse cuisine with alluring flavors.

EarthRise provides sleeping accommodations in a mix of single, double and couple rooming options. All of the rooms have recently been renovated, and are simply and attractively appointed with a desk, a clothing bureau, linens, blankets and towels, and include access to a shared kitchen for tea and coffee. All housing accommodations are situated near to one another and next to the retreat space.

EarthRise at IONS is located just 35 minutes north of San Francisco. It is easily accessible from the East Bay and North Bay, as well as from San Francisco.

As you may know, this is a rare opportunity to learn directly from a master teacher and connect with a global community of like minds and hearts who are doing this important and transformative inner work.

If youre serious about conscious evolution, then you owe it to yourself, your loved ones and our world to join this one-of-a-kind gathering.

If youre ready to join with your spiritual family to co-create a new future, click the register button below to reserve your space now.

The 5-day gathering will take place from September 13-18, 2015. Plan to arrive at the retreat center by 5:00pm Pacific on September 13 and depart from the retreat center after 3:00pm Pacific on September 18.

$1325 tuition

Room and meals for the week are additional, starting with dinner on Sunday and ending with lunch on Friday:

Original post:
The Agents of Conscious Evolution Immersion with Barbara ...

Welcome to the home of Meditation and Modern Buddhism in Orlando! Modern Buddhist meditation is for everybody, regardless of religious background, race, ethnicity, or orientation. We happily welcome everyone, including people of all faiths, to our center.

Our center offers a variety of classes, workshops, and meditation instruction, so there is something here for everyone! Presented in Western context and in a casual and friendly atmosphere, we learn Buddha's advice on how to solve life's difficulties with a peaceful and happy mind. No previous experience of meditation is needed and each class can be taken on its own, or as part of a series.

What are the benefits of meditating?

When the turbulence of distracting thoughts subsides and our mind becomes still, a deep happiness and contentment naturally arise from within. This feeling of contentment and well being helps us cope with the busyness and difficulties of daily life. So much of the stress and tension we normally experience comes from our mind, and many of the problems we experience, including poor health, are caused or aggravated by this stress.

Just by doing breathing meditation for ten or fifteen minutes each day, we will be able to reduce this stress. We will experience a calm spacious feeling in the mind, and many of our usual problems will disappear. If we then learn the insights of Buddha's Lamrim meditations we can create profoundly positive changes in our lives; difficult situations will become easier to solve, we will naturally feel a warm heart toward everyone we meet, and all of our relationships will continuously improve.

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Meditation in Orlando

Retirement planning is very complex and varies by individual. The following 4 retirement calculators are designed for different retirement planning situations financially.

This calculator gives out saving guideline based on your retirement saving target.

If you have your own retirement saving schedule, this calculator estimates the amount you can withdraw every month once retired.

If you are retired or close to retirement, this calculator estimates how long your retirement saving lasts based on the amount you plan to withdraw every month.

Retirement occurs when people end employment completely. Some people may "semi-retire" by decreasing their work hours. The retirement age varies for different countries, but it is generally between the ages of 55 and 70. Also, the age is different for males and females in some countries. Most people choose to retire when they are ready, but some are forced to retire due to various reasons, mostly due to illness or disability.

One of the most important factors that affect the decision to retire is whether a person is financially "ready" to retire. Planning for retirement means making sure that you will have enough income to live on comfortably when you decide to stop earning your own living. In general, wealthy people tend to retire earlier.

Today, the amount required to save for a comfortable retirement is considerably larger than it was for the Baby Boomer generation. Experts now suggest that you should save at least eight times your salary at the end of your career to make sure that you will have enough to live on through many years in retirement. In the United States, more than 60% of workers believe that they will need to save at least $500,000 before they can retire. Yes, that is a great deal of savings, so you should start as early as possible, making use of the best retirement savings plans, and keep it up without interruption.

In most situations, people financially rely on the following programs after retirement:

Social Securitythis is a social insurance program run by the government to provide protection against poverty, old age, disability, etc. In the United States, approximately one-third of the working population expect Social Security to be their major source of income after retirement. Conversely, more than 50% of retirees expect Social Security to be their major source of income.

Pensionmost public servants in the United States are not covered by Social Security, but by pension programs. Some private employers also provide pension benefits.

Retirement Savings Plansthis normally refers to 401Ks and IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) in the United States. These are the savings from personal income, including tax benefits. Many employers also provide a 401K "match" on top of an employee's personal contribution.

Investment Incomethis is income such as stock dividends, real estate rental income, bank savings account interest, and so on.

Personal Savingsthis is the money you save in your bank, such as saving accounts, CDs (Certificates of Deposit), checking accounts, etc.

To financially plan your retirement, please use this retirement calculator to estimate each source of income listed above and add them up.

One reason people tend to underestimate their retirement saving needs is that they fail to properly account for the impact of inflation. We live at a time when inflation is relatively low, and so we do not perceive its effects. But inflation accumulations bit by bit; prices go up in one area like foodstuffs, and later in another like housing. Over a period of years these price increases can have a profound effect on how much money you will need in retirement.

Remember that inflation won't stop once you retire. Prices will keep going up over that 25 to 30 year period. So you must take into account the continuing erosion of spending power that will take place. You have to bear in mind that every $100,000 you have saved up may only have a real worth of $70,000 when you retire, and even less five years later. The average inflation rate in the United States for the past 30 years has been around 4.3%. Please check the Inflation Calculator for more information.

It's important to make use of the best instruments available to save for retirement. You will have your social security, of course, but we are warned that it will deliver less in the future. Some workers, particularly government employees, have pension plans. Then you should get started as early as possible with Retirement Savings Plansthis normally refers to 401Ks and IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) in the United States. The former calls for defined contributions from your salary that are matched by your employer, and both remain free of tax while you keep the money in the plan. The latter allows you to make tax-exempt savings contributions. You should also make use of CDs and money-market accounts for risk-free savings at the best interest rates available.

All of this will help you to beat inflation in the long term, and the retirement calculator will help you to determine how much your money will be worth.

See the original post here:
Calculator Retirement

Employee engagement is a property of the relationship between an organization and its employees. An "engaged employee" is one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work and so takes positive action to further the organization's reputation and interests.

An organization with 'high' employee engagement might therefore be expected to outperform those with 'low' employee engagement, all else being equal.[1] There are, however, a range of definitions that have emerged around concepts relating to employee engagement. Research has looked at the involvement, commitment and productivity of employees. Organizations have often had a focus on how to generate engagement, rather than seeking objective ways to measure it. Care must therefore be taken when looking at some of the statistics presented around engagement.

William Kahn provided the first formal definition of personal engagement as "the harnessing of organisation members' selves to their work roles; in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances.[2]"

In 1993, Schmidt et al. proposed a bridge between the pre-existing concept of 'job satisfaction' and employee engagement with the definition: "an employee's involvement with, commitment to, and satisfaction with work. Employee engagement is a part of employee retention." This definition integrates the classic constructs of job satisfaction (Smith et al., 1969), and organizational commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1991).

Defining employee engagement remains problematic. In their review of the literature in 2011, Shuck and Wollard [3] identify four main sub-concepts within the term:

Definitions of engagement vary in the weight they give to the individual vs the organisation in creating engagement. Recent practice has situated the drivers of engagement across this spectrum, from within the psyche of the individual employee (for example, promising recruitment services that will filter out 'disengaged' job applicants [5]) to focusing mainly on the actions and investments the organisation makes to support engagement.[6]

These definitional issues are potentially severe for practitioners. With different (and often proprietary) definitions of the object being measured, statistics from different sources are not readily comparable. Engagement work remains open to the challenge that its basic assumptions are, as Tom Keenoy describes them, 'normative' and 'aspirational', rather than analytic or operational - and so risk being seen by other organizational participants as "motherhood and apple pie" rhetoric.[7]

Prior to Kahn's use of the term in the mid-1990s, a series of concepts relating to employee engagement had been investigated in management theory. Employee morale, work ethic, productivity, and motivation had been explored in a line dating back to the work of Mary Parker Follett in the early 1920s. Survey-based World War II studies on leadership and group morale sparked further confidence that such properties could be investigated and measured.[8] Later, Frederick Herzberg concluded [9] that positive motivation is driven by managers giving their employees developmental opportunities, activity he termed 'vertical enrichment'.

With the wide range of definitions comes a variety of potential contributors to desirable levels of employee engagement. Some examples:

Eileen Appelbaum and her colleagues (2000) studied 15 steel mills, 17 apparel manufacturers, and 10 electronic instrument and imaging equipment producers. Their purpose was to compare traditional production systems with flexible high-performance production systems involving teams, training, and incentive pay systems. In all three industries, the plants utilizing high-involvement practices showed superior performance. In addition, workers in the high-involvement plants showed more positive attitudes, including trust, organizational commitment and intrinsic enjoyment of the work.[10] The concept has gained popularity as various studies have demonstrated links with productivity. It is often linked to the notion of employee voice and empowerment.[11]

Two studies of employees in the life insurance industry examined the impact of employee perceptions that they had the power to make decisions, sufficient knowledge and information to do the job effectively, and rewards for high performance. Both studies included large samples of employees (3,570 employees in 49 organizations and 4,828 employees in 92 organizations). In both studies, high-involvement management practices were positively associated with employee morale, employee retention, and firm financial performance.[10] Watson Wyatt found that high-commitment organizations (one with loyal and dedicated employees) out-performed those with low commitment by 47% in the 2000 study and by 200% in the 2002 study.[12]

Employees with the highest level of commitment perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave the organization, which indicates that engagement is linked to organizational performance.[13]

In a study of professional service firms, the Hay Group found that offices with engaged employees were up to 43% more productive.[14] Job satisfaction is also linked to productivity.[15]

Increasing engagement is a primary objective of organizations seeking to understand and measure engagement.

Some additional points from research into drivers of engagement are presented below:

Commitment theories are rather based on creating conditions, under which the employee will feel compelled to work for an organization, whereas engagement theories aim to bring about a situation in which the employee by free choice has an intrinsic desire to work in the best interests of the organization.[20]

Recent research has focused on developing a better understanding of how variables such as quality of work relationships and values of the organization interact, and their link to important work outcomes.[21] From the perspective of the employee, "outcomes" range from strong commitment to the isolation of oneself from the organization.[19]

Read this article:
Employee engagement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

IVA-Boston conducts ongoing abolitionist vegan education for its volunteers and the public.The chapter was founded by an area volunteer who started the Boston Vegan Association in 2007. With the launch of the IVA, the BVA ceased activities so that its volunteers could join IVA-Boston and continue on with their abolitionist advocacy in and around Boston as part of theIVA. Like any IVA chapter, IVA-Boston maintains a grassroots approach to advocacy while functioning as a part of the the IVA, and is therefore fully alignedwith the IVAs mission. We avoid activities inconsistent with or which do not fulfill the IVAsmission. For that reason, IVA-Boston does not participate in campaigns focused on a single issue (e.g., fur), promote vegetarianism, lobby government officials, or otherwise attempt to reform welfare laws, which take it as a given that it is permissible to use animals as our property.

To develop ourselves as activists, we meet monthly for Advocacy Practice meetings and we periodically conduct or participate in the IVAs animal rights reading groups. The reading groups improvenot only our own knowledge of animal rightsand the abolitionist approach, but also serve as introductory animal rights education to newcomers and the public alike. Newcomers may also learn more about the IVA and veganism through our orientation meetings.

In addition to our animal rights reading groups, which are open to the public, we distribute our ownliteraturein busy pedestrian zones and at a popular area events, where we consistently engage members of the public in abolitionist conversations. Our volunteers have disseminated an abolitionist message via MBTA ads (see left), brought Prof. Gary L. Francione to the Old South Meeting House for a discussion on abolitionist animal rights, andoffered our literature free to abolitionist groups around the world (a campaign that has now been taken up by the IVA).

Our animal rights reading groups last several meetings over 2-3 months, and run at least twice per year. Newcomer orientations and advocacy practice meetings occur on the first Sunday afternoon of each month, though we often push back a week if a major holiday causes a scheduling conflict. To stay informed about all meeting times, dates, locations, and topics,sign up for our monthly newsletter(below), which is generally sent about a week before our meetings. We also post meeting events on ourFacebook page.

See original here:
IVA-Boston The International Vegan Association

Enjoying vegetarian and vegan (veg*n stands for both) foods when dining out is one of life's pleasures! We hope that this restaurant list will help to guide you to some excellent dining experiences. It is a good idea to call first to confirm hours.

All restaurants on this page have committed to serving exclusively vegetarian foods (no meat, fowl, or fish). Many are vegan (no dairy, eggs, or honey). They are noted with these symbols. Please write us at info@bostonveg.org with any updates!

Metro Boston | Metro West | North of Boston | North Shore | Cape Cod | Central MA | Western MA

Amsterdam Falafelshop 248 Elm Street Somerville, MA 02144 MBTA: Davis Square stop on the Red Line 617- 764-3334 Sunday-Thursday, 11am-10:30pm Friday & Saturday, 11am-12midnight

and

642 Beacon St. in Kenmore Square Boston MA 02215 MBTA: Green Line B, C, or D trolley to Kenmore Square 857-317-2742 Sunday-Thursday, 11am-10:30pm Friday & Saturday, 11am-12midnight

Start with crispy falafel in a freshly toasted pita or a bowl, and then build your meal from an extensive choose-your-own toppings bar. The dazzling array of toppings, 21 of them16 of which are vegangets raves for freshness and variety, from pickled beets to bean dips and garlicky sauces, from grilled eggplant to multiple salads. Never has the phrase "pile on" meant so much fun.

Clover Outdoor Food Trucks Mobile food truck locations include MIT, Dewey Square near South Station T, Boston Common at Park St. T, City Hall Plaza, Longwood Medical Area, Boston University, Inman Square, SoWa Market (South End) and Boston Public Library. Locations and hours can change so check their website for details.

This outdoor food truck has a large and loyal following at its original location near MIT, and became an immediate hit at its second location opposite South Station on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Now with multiple trucks citywide, Clover serves vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian fast food to an enthusiastic following. The food gets raves for being fresh and delicious, service is fast and friendly. Their rotating and seasonal menu uses mostly organic ingredients. It includes breakfast items like banana muffins, oatmeal, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Lunch menu offers hot soup in winter, sandwiches and healthy side salads. The chickpea fritter sandwich is the star, the BBQ seitan is tasty and tender, and the tempeh BLT pleases even the omnivore. The rosemary fries are a whole potato fresh cut before your eyes and deep fried with fresh rosemary. Clover gives fast food a good name.

Clover Restaurants Clover Brookline Village 6 Harvard Street Brookline, MA MBTA: Brookline Village stop on the Green Line D trolley (Riverside Line) Mostly takeout, no seating, with counters by the front windows for eating while standing. Monday-Friday, 7am-9pm; Saturday & Sunday, 9am-7pm

Clover Harvard Square 7 Holyoke Street Cambridge, MA MBTA: Harvard Square stop on the Red Line Monday-Saturday, 7am Midnight; Sunday 7am-7pm

Clover East Cambridge 1075 Cambridge Street East Cambridge, MA Monday-Saturday, 7am 10pm; Sunday 10-6pm

Clover Kendall Square 5 Cambridge Center Cambridge, MA MBTA: Kendall Square stop on the Red Line Monday-Saturday, 7am-11pm; Sunday, 10am-6pm

The same winning formula of delicious, vegan and vegetarian food made from fresh and mostly organic ingredients, quick and friendly service, and economical prices that has made the food trucks such a hit is now available in a restaurant in the heart of Harvard Square and at other locations popping up around the city! Read full description above under Clover Outdoor Food Trucks.

Cocobeet 100 City Hall Plaza Boston, MA 02108 MBTA: Government Center station (Green and Blue lines) is across the street; State Street stop on the Orange Line is one block away. 857-263-8598 Monday-Friday, 7am-8pm Saturday, 9am-8pm; Sunday, 10am-8pm

All vegan. An extensive menu of organic, cold-pressed juices and power smoothies, breakfast bowls, grab-and-go snacks, hearty salads, and sandwiches pack in natures healthiest ingredients in inventive combinations. Nutrient dense, anti-oxidant rich, energy packed, whole superfoods are put together in delicious and satisfying options like Vanilla Berry Chia Pudding, Raw Brownie Bites, Veggie Quinoa Sliders, and Ginger Tempeh Rolls.

Dosa 'n' Curry 447 Somerville Ave., near Market Basket Somerville, MA 02143 MBTA: Bus #87 to School St. or Loring St. About 1 mile from Porter Square stop on Red Line. 617-764-3152 Monday - Thursday, 11:30am - 3:00pm and 5pm to 10pm Friday - Sunday, 11:30am to 10pm; luncheon buffet 11:30am - 3:30pm

An all-vegetarian Indian restaurant finally arrives in Boston! The menu has a strong vegan component, and vegan items are clearly marked on the menu. This place gets high marks even from native South Indians for their authentic South Indian cuisine as well as their North Indian and Indo-Chinese dishes. They offer some delicacies not found in many places in the area. Their idly, vada, and huge dosa are popular.

FoMu 481 Cambridge Street Allston (Boston), MA 02134 (in Union Square, near Grasshopper) MBTA: Allston Street stop on Green Line B trolley, then walk north on Allston St. 4/10 mile and turn left into Union Square. Or, Buses #57, #64, #66 stop in Union Square. 617-903-3276 Sunday - Thursday, 11:30am - 10pm Friday and Saturday, 11:30am - 11:00pm

and

617 Centre Street Jamaica Plain (Boston) 617-553-2299 MBTA: Orange Line to Green St. station, turn left and follow Green St. then turn right on Centre St.; or #39 bus from Copley Square Monday - Thursday, 11am - 11pm; Friday, 11am - 11:30am Saturday, 8am - 11:30pm; Sunday, 8am - 11pm

This "alternative ice cream" shop features premium hand-scooped ice cream that is dairy-free and made locally in small batches. With a base of coconut cream and sweetened with organic cane sugar or agave, this smooth and creamy treat is offered in many inventive flavors, including: dark & stormy, bananas foster, cookies & cream, salted caramel, peanut butter, peppermint chip, and vanilla bean with little vanilla bean flecks. Also on the menu are sorbets, a wide range of smoothie and frappe options, coffee and teas served hot or iced, and a rotating variety of house-made vegan baked goods... and ice cream cakes (Alston store.) Have you ever seen so many 5-star Yelp reviews? Sweet dreams!

Grasshopper One North Beacon St. (Union Sq., opp. Jackson Mann School & Twin Donuts) Allston, Boston, MA 02134 MBTA: Allston Street stop on Green Line B trolley, then walk north on Allston St. 4/10 mile and turn left into Union Square. Or, Buses #57, #64, #66 stop in Union Square. 617-254-8883 Monday - Thursday, 11 AM - 10 PM Friday - Saturday, 11 AM - 11 PM Sunday, 12 noon - 10 PM; open holidays

All vegan Asian cuisine, extensive menu. "Where the animals live to tell it all" is their slogan, and their recipes - some from Buddhist temples in Vietnam - bring non-violent cooking to great heights. Huge portions, great value, a restaurant with heart. Their faux meats are known to please even avid meat-eaters. Super appetizers, like Fresh Spring Rolls, Bean Cakes, and Sesame Buckwheat Noodles with Peanut Sauce. The Vietnamese Pizza appetizer is a delicious, crispy, folded egg-free omelet stuffed with tofu and veggies and served with salad, a meal in itself and highly recommended. The No Name from the specials menu is widely acclaimed, whichheaps battered house-made seitan strips in a sweet and sour sauce over assorted veggies topped with sesame seeds. The Grasshopper Supreme bathes skinless, melt-in-your-moutheggplant in a savory chili-basil sauce, served with asparagus, spinach, and portabello mushrooms. Don't leave without some vegan cheesecake with fruit topping!

Hare Krishna Temple 72 Commonwealth Avenue Back Bay, Boston, MA 02116 MBTA: Arlington or Copley stop on Green Line 617-247-8611 Free vegetarian feast following lecture and discussion Sundays 4:30-7:30 p.m. and Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m.

La Sanghita Caf 389 Maverick St East Boston, MA 02128 MBTA: Take Blue Line to Maverick Station. Walk 1 block on Chelsea St., turn right on Maverick St. and walk 6/10 mile. 857-256-2917 Monday- Wednesday, 7:30am-4pm Thursday-Sunday, 7:30am-10pm

Employing principles of mindful eating based on nutritarian teachings, meditation and yoga, this pleasing, bilingual space values offering community as well as good food. A varied menu presents Sweet Plates such as Pear-Coconut-Ginger Fritters, and Savory Plates such as Veggie Scramble with Tofu and Quinoa, Taco or Quesadilla Plates served with toppings, beans, rice and salad and to the rescue a Sampler deal where you get to try five items. Tapas, Hot Drinks, and Smoothies top off the menu.

Life Alive 765 Massachusetts Avenue Central Square, Cambridge, MA 02139 MBTA: Central Square stop on Red Line 617-354-5433 Monday - Saturday, 8 AM - 10 PM Sunday, 11 AM - 7 PM

Sister site to the original location in Lowell, this restaurant has a mission to feed the mind, body, and spirit. A menu of colorful, vibrant, therapeutic whole foods offers unprocessed, organic grains and vegetables in dishes that are made fresh to order. Each dish is topped with an enzyme sauce that aids digestion and adds scrumptious flavor. Healthy side dishes, vegan soups, rejuvenating live juice blends, and sumptuous smoothies round out the offerings.

Mother Juice 625 West Kendall Street Cambridge MA 02142 MBTA: Red Line to Kendall Square station 617-286-580 Monday-Friday, 7am-5pm Saturday, 8am-3pm; Sunday closed

All vegan. Only organic fruits and vegetables are used in the cold-pressed juices and smoothies, with attention to local sourcing. Raw vegan snacks and Breakfast Bowls like Chia Seed Pudding and Overnight Oats are packed with whole, nutritious ingredients. Satisfying salads include Raw Pad Thai, Red Quinoa Curry, and Zucchini Noodles tossed with walnut-basil-parsley pesto.

My Thai Vegan Cafe & Bubble Tea Bistro 3 Beach Street, 2nd floor, at corner of Washington St. Chinatown, Boston, MA 02111 MBTA: Chinatown stop/Orange Line, Boylston St. stop/Green Line 617-451-2395 Sunday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.; Friday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

The Cafe offers an all-vegan menu of flavorful and exoticThai dishes, beautifully presented, along with a multitude of hot and cold beverages and an array of vegan desserts. Use of such items as fresh lime juice, lemon leaves, and fresh basil bring bursts of flavor to savory soups and entrees, and coconut milk and curry bring a smooth warmth to the palate. The #13 Tom Yum Soup and the Temple Soup,Mango Salad, anda scooped out Half Pineappleboat overflowing with fresh veggiesseeped in aromatic spices and curry sauceare just a few of the remarkable offeringson the extensive menu.When you arrive upstairs you will find a pleasing dining atmosphere. Download the My Thai Cafe menu!

O2 Vegan Caf 1001 Mass, Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138 MBTA: Half way between Harvard Square and Central Square on the Red Line 617-492- 2233 Monday - Friday, 8 am - 4 pm Saturday & Sunday, 8 am - 6 pm

All vegan, this lovely caf, which adjoins O2 Yoga Studio, gets raves for its delicious smoothies, breakfasts, salads, and pressed and cold sandwiches. Veggie salads are made hearty with toppings such as their chuna salad, seitan, or house made veggie burger. Hot pressed sandwiches contain house made cheese for a Chuna Melt or Tofurky Melt. Other tasty choices like Seitan Slam, BLTs, nachos with homemade avocado crema and homemade vegan cheese with pico de gallo put this very pleasing place on the map. A grilled tofu breakfast sandwich, coffee with a choice of non-dairy lighteners, and friendly staffers help start a good day.

Red Lentil Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant 600 Mount Auburn Street Watertown, MA 02472 MBTA: Red Line to Harvard Square, then bus #71 (Watertown Sq.) 617- 972-9189 Monday - Thursday, Lunch 11 AM - 5 PM, Dinner 5 - 9:30 PM Friday, Lunch 11 AM - 5 PM, Dinner 5 - 10 PM Saturday & Sunday, Brunch 9 AM - 3 PM, Dinner 5 - 10 PM

Inspired world cuisine using locally grown and organic produce. Appetizers such as Pan Seared Breaded Portabella Strips and Beet-Potato Latkes are followed by inventive, complex entrees with international influences. The Gobi Manchurian is a must-try appetizer that takes cauliflower to the pinnacle of great taste. Three vegan soups, numerous generous salads, and daily scrumptious lunch and dinner specials bring veg and non-veg diners back again and again to explore this alluring menu. Dishes are served with attention to presentation, so they delight the eye before the taste buds are engaged. Fresh vegetable juices and smoothies made with fresh fruit and house-made cashew milk add to the offerings. Most menu items are vegan, and gluten-free and vegan items are clearly marked. Moderate prices, friendly, attentive service that will cater to individual dietary requests.

Revolution Juice 150 Huntington Ave. (opposite Christian Science Plaza) Boston, MA 02115 MBTA: Green Line E (Heath) trolley to Symphony

All vegan and 100% organic, this establishment follows principles of a Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet and has a mission to heal the world, one drink at a time. Order from an extensive menu of cold-pressed fruit or vegetable juices, smoothies, datorades, green drinks and fruit sorbet bowls with toppings. Nourishing soups like Three Bean, Carrot Ginger Curry, and Vegetable Lentil are served with brown rice and make a hearty meal. Healthy snacks like Date Power Bars are on hand, and nutrient-dense baby foods can be ordered. Take-out or counter seating on stools (no tables.) Surround yourself with delicious, healthy choices and power on!

Rhythm 'N Wraps 857- 829-1090

Gourmet vegetarian food truck selling at locations at Boston University and Harvard. The chef is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, and specializes in vegetarian and Ayurvedic-inspired cooking. The Chickpea Vegetable Curry plate comes with a choice of basamati, quinoa, brown or wild rice. A variety of salads and sides, as well as numerous different wraps, some using vegan sausage or tempeh bacon with a range of vegetables and sauces, pack a lot of choices into this shiny black mobile unit.

Root - Inspired Food & Juicery 487 Cambridge St. Union Square, Allston (Boston) MBTA: Allston Street stop on Green Line B trolley, then walk north on Allston St. 4/10 mile and turn left into Union Square. Or, Buses #57, #64, #66 stop in Union Square. Monday-Friday, 11am-10pm Saturday & Sunday, 9:30am-10pm (Brunch 9:30am-2:30pm)

All vegan. This comfortable caf with natural wood flooring offers unique fresh juice blends served in mason jars, and a blackboard of sumptuous savory options that rotate seasonally. A staple is the root burger, a thick black bean and quinoa burger stacked high with toppings and served open face on a soft bun with dressed greens or herbed fries. A nutritious Macrobowl is organic golden quinoa topped with pickled carrot, kale, chickpeas, and avocado, served with nori, gochujang aioli, and a citrus miso vinaigrette. "Plant-inspired" food that is hearty, whole, flavorful, and topped with a creative touch.

Sudo Shoes 1771 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02140 MBTA: Red Line to Porter Square, then walk on Mass. Ave. towards Harvard Square.

No food at Sudo Shoes, but those seeking vegan food may want to know about this all-vegan store that offers a stellar selection of fashionable accessories and footwear for men and women. Leather-free shoes both dress and casual, boots, sandals, wallets, belts, ties -- theyve done the research and found the top animal-friendly and socially responsible choices, with style.

Taco Party Food Truck Rotating locations in Seaport, Financial District, Rowes Wharf, Somerville, and Chinatown This all-vegan menu with Mexican roots and the cook's original touch is a testimony to the idea of beauty in simplicity. Taco with seitan marinated in citrus love potion, taco with tofu in seasoned bread crumbs, taco with marinated tempeh, and a seasonal taco special of the day - each variety with just the right flavorful toppings - will have you following this shiny green truck around town.

True Bistro 1153 Broadway Teele Square, Somerville 02144 MBTA: Take the Red Line to Davis Square, then take the # 87 or 88 bus, which stop at True Bistros front door. Or, walk from Davis Sq. 6/10 mile along Holland St. to Teele Square. 617-627-9000 Wednesday & Thursday, 5 pm 9 pm Friday, 5 pm 10 pm Saturday, Brunch 10 am 3 pm, Dinner 5 pm 10 pm Sunday, Brunch 10 am - 3 pm, Dinner 5 pm - 9 pm

Vegan cuisine, wine, beer, and cocktails. Boston joins the culinary big leagues with the addition of upscale vegan dining with the option of drinks, in an atmosphere that is elegant while still being warm and comfortable. A suggested wine pairing is offered with each mouth-watering entree on a menu that brings to our locale the animal-free fine dining experiences offered in New York and San Francisco. Try small plates like cornmeal-crusted oyster mushrooms in a horseradish/dill aioli, or house made ravioli with cashew ricotta. Large plates like Phyllo Purse, stuffed with porter braised tempeh and summer squash with red mole and cashew sour cream, are created for both the eye and the palate. No need to wait for a special occasion to go; any meal can be a special occasion when fine dining makes a perfect union with compassionate cuisine.

Veggie Galaxy Diner and Vegan Bakery 450 Massachusetts Avenue Central Square, Cambridge, MA 02139 MBTA: Central Square stop on Red Line, #1 bus 617-497-1513 Monday - Thursday & Sunday, 9am - 10pm Friday & Saturday, 9am - 11pm

Step into a modern diner that captures the retro feel with booths, a counter with stools, and a dessert carousel, one in which all the luscious desserts are vegan! Sister restaurant to Veggie Planet in Harvard Square, Veggie Galaxy offers a large menu of classic diner items in delectable, eye-appealing vegetarian and vegan versions. Items that dont specifically mention eggs or cheese are vegan, and any item can be made vegan by substituting tofu eggs and/or housemade vegan cheese. All desserts, including ice cream desserts, are vegan even a vegan lemon meringue pie. Breakfast, served all day, includes such items as vegan Griddled Banana Nut Cream Cheeze Stuffed French Toast with Caramelized Banana "Butter" & Strawberry-Basil Topping. For dinner, how about Housemade Seitan Meatloaf w/ a Smokey Balsamic Glaze, Sauteed Bright Lights Chard, & Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Watch the cooks behind the counter as they serve up your dish. Prepare to have fun and enjoy!

Walnut Grille 1203 Walnut Street Newton Highlands MA 02461 MBTA: 1 block from Newton Highlands stop on Green Line D trolley (Riverside Line) 617-964-1029 Monday - Friday, 11am - 10pm Saturday & Sunday, 9am - 10pm

Vegetarian and vegan cuisine with an upscale touch. Seitan Marsala, Polenta Napoleon, and a pasta-free Lasagna of thinly layered vegetables and lentils are just a few of the creative entrees on their full menu of delights. A colorful garnish adorns the plate, adding to the visual pleasure of each dish. The menu offers an array of tasty and nourishing luncheon sandwiches such as quinoa black bean burgers, or salads such as the Highlands Gem of roasted golden beets. Daily specials, weekend brunch, vegan desserts, and varied drinks from smoothies to cocktails should satisfy all tastes. Try the Drums of Heaven appetizer. Vegan and gluten-free items are indicated. A free parking lot behind the restaurant tops it all off!

Clover Burlington 100 Burlington Mall Road, food truck rotates locations in several office parks Burlington MA 01803

The same winning formula of delicious, vegan and vegetarian food made from fresh and mostly organic ingredients, quick and friendly service, and economical prices that has made the many Clover food trucks around Boston such a hit (see top of page) is now available in restaurants and food trucks around the region.

Dosa Temple 59 Pond St. (Rt. 126 South, in the Pond Plaza Shopping Center, next to Market Basket) Ashland, MA 01721 508-879-6800 Monday - Friday, 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM; 5 - 10 PM for dinner Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 AM - 10 PM; Lunch Buffet 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM

This restaurant offers a wonderful variety of delicious South Indian Cuisine at low prices. Most items on the all-vegetarian menu can be made vegan. Try the dosa (paper thin rice and lentil crepe with various stuffings), and the veggie pakoras. The decor is simple, the flavors are elegant. Their 25 item lunchtime buffet is one of the best, and most mouth-watering, bargains to be found.

Green Leaf Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant 665 Cochituate Road (Rt. 30, immediately off Mass Pike Exit 13) Framingham MA 01701508-309-3009Monday-Thursday, Lunch 11am-5pm; Dinner 5pm-9:30pm Friday, Lunch 11am-5pm; Dinner 5pm-10pm Saturday & Sunday, Brunch 9am-4pm; Dinner 5pm-Closing

A simple storefront entrance opens to an unexpectedly spacious and cheerful dining space, but it is the extensive, inventive, delectable menu that offers the best surprise. The Protein Packed Salad brings together baked tofu, avocado, quinoa, kidney beans, jicama, and other veggies in a delicious dressing. Tender button mushrooms stuffed with onion, garlic and marinated artichoke hearts are drizzled with maple balsamic reduction as one of many standout appetizers. Creamy Cashew Polenta, Seitan Piccata with wilted greens, grilled potato cake, and lemon-caper sauce, and Tempeh Chimichurri are just three of the many entrees that keep customers coming back. Fresh juice blends, smoothies, a wide array of vegan desserts, and a weekend brunch make this a hot spot for MetroWest diners seeking nutritious food that delights both the palate and the imagination.

Masao's Kitchen 581 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453 Commuter Rail: Waltham station on Fitchburg line, then walk 6/10 mile south on Moody St. 781-647-7977 Monday - Saturday, 11:30 - 4:30 PM. Closed Sunday; no dinner hours.

All vegan cuisine based on macrobiotic teachings and the use of fresh, whole, organic ingredients means this food is health promoting as well as simply delicious. A serve yourself buffet, pay by the ounce, offers steamed greens, an orange vegetable mix, a daily legume stew, sea vegetables, salad in a light dressing, and a rotation of seitan cutlets (amazingly good), barbecued tofu in a flavorful sauce, or tempeh in red cabbage. Also delicious is their bowl of noodles with broth, greens, tofu, and tempura or their pan fried noodles with veggies, tofu, and ginger. Sprinkle pumpkin or sesame seeds over your plate for extra flavor and nutrition. Desserts with no refined sugar are available for a a sweet ending to your meal. Friendly and pleasing atmosphere, kind and gentle staff; this place feeds more than the appetite. Leave feeling truly nourished.

Ritu ki Rasoi 207E Cambridge Street (by Burlington Auto Supply, rear) Burlington, MA 01803 781-229-8349 Tuesday Thursday, Lunch 11:30am - 2:30pm; Dinner 5pm 9pm Friday, 11:30am - 2:30pm; 5pm - 9pm Saturday, 12 noon 3pm; 5pm - 9:30pm Sunday, 12 noon - 3pm; 5pm - 9pm

This family-run restaurant offers authentic Indian vegetarian street foods (chaats) along with delectable South Indian entrees, breads, and appetizers. They also offer a taste of worldfusion cuisine with an Indo-Chinese section on the menu. Emphasis is on fresh ingredients.

Udupi Bhavan 378 Maple Avenue Shrewsbury, MA 01545 508-459-5099 Monday & Wednesday - Friday, 11:30 AM - 3 PM and 5 - 9:30 PM Saturday & Sunday, 11:30 AM - 9:30 PM; closed Tuesday

Specializing in authentic South Indian specialties like dosas, the paper-thin crepes made from a slightly fermented batter of protein-rich split peas and rice. Cooked on a hot griddle and rolled into a crispy tube, they are served plain or filled. Another specialty is Uthappams, the rice and lentil pancakes served with various vegetable fillings and toppings. A full menu of exquisite offerings.

Green Street Natural Food 164 Green St., Melrose 781-662-7741 Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday closed

This is a small family operation giving a personal touch to their all-vegetarian market since 1975. With an emphasis on customer service and extensive product knowledge, the Cantin family offers a wide variety of natural foods and supplements. Their produce is all organic. Their grocery section offers frozen, refrigerated, packaged and canned foods that are organic whenever possible. Their bulk section includes beans, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, dried fruits, and pasta. Their personal care products are organic whenever possible and never tested on animals.

Life Alive 194 Middle Street Lowell, MA 978-453-1311 Monday - Wednesday, 10 AM - 8 PM Thursday - Friday, 10 AM - 9 PM Saturday, 10 AM - 8 PM; Sunday, 12 noon - 6 PM

With a mission to feed the mind, body, and spirit, this small, bright space is used to the max. A menu of colorful, vibrant, therapeutic whole foods offers unprocessed, organic grains and vegetables in dishes that are made fresh to order. Each dish is topped with an enzyme sauce that aids digestion and adds scrumptious flavor. Healthy side dishes, rejuvenating live juice blends, and sumptuous smoothies round out the offerings. Organic body care products and supplements are available as well.

Udupi Bhavan 1717 Middlesex Street Lowell, MA 978-654-6653 Tuesday - Friday, 11:30 AM - 3 PM and 5 - 9:30 PM Saturday & Sunday, 11:30 AM - 9:30 PM; closed Monday

Specializing in authentic South Indian specialties like dosas, the paper-thin crepes made from a slightly fermented batter of protein-rich split peas and rice. Cooked on a hot griddle and rolled into a crispy tube, they are served plain or filled. Another specialty is Uthappams, the rice and lentil pancakes served with various vegetable fillings and toppings. A full menu of exquisite offerings.

Life Alive 281 Essex Street Salem 01970 Commuter Rail: Take Newburyport/Rockport Line to Salem Depot. Then walk 1.5 blocks. 978-594-4644 Monday - Saturday, 8 AM - 10 PM Sunday, 11 AM - 7 PM

Sister site to locations in Lowell and Cambridge, this restaurant has a mission to feed the mind, body, and spirit. A menu of colorful, vibrant, therapeutic whole foods offers unprocessed, organic grains and vegetables in dishes that are made fresh to order. Each dish is topped with an enzyme sauce that aids digestion and adds scrumptious flavor. Healthy side dishes, rejuvenating live juice blends, and sumptuous smoothies round out the offerings.

Mandarava 46 Inn Street Newburyport, MA 01950 978-465-7300 Hours change seasonally. Please check website.

All vegan, ingredients are free of animal products, refined flour and sugar, and are at least 90% organic. Cooking from scratch, this cafe puts the emphasis on whole foods nutrition. A Daily Bowl at lunchtime contains a grain, legume, and savory vegetables or salad, and the soup of the day may be a chunky stew or a brothy blend. A mufti-course dinner is by reservation only. Freshly squeezed juices and smoothies, and To-Go meals round out the offerings.

Organic Garden Caf 294 Cabot Street (next to Cabot Cinema, opp. Hess gas station) Beverly MA 01915 (Rt. 62 off Rt. 128) Commuter Rail: Take Newburyport/Rockport Line to Beverly Depot. Then a 10 minute walk to restaurant. Walk up the hill from Rantoul St., turn left on Cabot St. and walk approx. 1/3 mile. 978-922-0004 Tuesday - Thursday,9am - 8pm Friday & Saturday,9am - 9pm Sunday, 9am - 7:00pm; closed Monday

All vegan, organic, exotic raw cuisine. When it comes to gourmet "live" cuisine, nobody does it better. Try vibrant, living food versions of everything from pizza, falafel, and cheeseburgers to a full Thanksgiving dinner (in season.) Imaginative dishes are created with complex blending of many raw ingredients and are artfully presented. Entrees, bowls, salads, wraps, soups made with raw almond cream, bagels (choice of homemade "live" bagel or standard whole wheat) with a wide array of spreads and fillings, smoothie and juice bar. Save room for dessert such as a raw tiramisu that includes superfoods, a like-you've-never-had-it-before apple pie, raw chocolate truffles, and more. Get a thick date smoothie for the road. Cozy, gracious decor.

Revitalive Caf The Tannery Mall 50 Water Street, Newburyport 978-462-0639 Monday - Thursday, 9am - 6pm Friday - Sunday, 9am - 5pm

All vegan, raw, and free of gluten/soy/dairy, with a focus on using locally grown and organic ingredients. Salads include a seed-based un-tuna salad, and creative Bowls-served-cold include a house burger with quinoa, and an almond-based falafel bowl with hummus and veggies. A varied selection of Bowls-served-hot includes curry, Asian, Macro, sweet & sour, and three-bean chili with avocado. Soups and grab-n-go items, plus a selection of rich raw chocolate desserts cover all the bases with flair. Add to this an extensive menu of fresh pressed juices with four to six ingredients in each one, and their Mega-Meal Super Food Smoothies of six to nine ingredients each, with the option of add-ins. Their name says it best -- revitalize at Revitalive!

Green Lotus Caf 349 Main St. Hyannis 02601 Commuter Rail: South Station to Hyannis 508-775-1067 Tuesday - Sunday, 7am - 7pm; closed Monday

This small caf brings giant blessings to the heart of Hyannis' main street. An inventive menu of sumptuous sandwiches stuffed thick with healthful ingredients is posted on a blackboard. Tender house-made seitan, organic breads freshly baked on site, house-made black bean burger, create-your-own salad of fresh local produce, and breakfast foods (served until 11am) such as quinoa with maple syrup, cranberries, and toasted pecans are just a few examples of what makes this caf shine. Their vegan New England Style Chowder made with cashew cream and cremini mushrooms could be the best chowder ever. Hand-made chocolates and treats, as well as teas and locally roasted coffee fill out the offerings. Three outdoor tables allow for watching the street life.

Belmont Vegetarian Restaurant 157 Belmont St (Rt. 9, corner Eastern Ave., near UMassMemorial) Worcester, MA 01608 508-798-8898 Tuesday - Saturday, 11am - 8pm Closed Sunday and Monday

All vegan, Jamaican/Caribbean cuisine,serves mainly take-out, with two booths for eating in.Order and pick up at the counter. Daily changing menu with dishes such as vegan pepper steak, BBQ chunks, curried chicken, rice, tofu dishes, vegetable stew, cabbage, soup, patties, and mac 'n' cheese. The combo plate comes with all of the day's selections. Delicious, satisfying food, served with a spirit of kindness. Read the 5-star love on Yelp. Free parking on the street.

Loving Hut Chandler 415 Chandler Street, Worcester 508-459-0367 Monday - Thursday, 11 AM - 9 PM Friday - Saturday, 11 AM - 10 PM ClosedSunday

All vegan, Asian cuisine. "Dedicated to providing a compassionate culinary experience." Spacious restaurant offering anextensivemenu of delectable foods. Their fresh spring rolls are a standout. Choices galore of faux meat dishes and abundant fresh vegetables. Service is very friendly, gracious, and accommodating from the vegan family who owns the restaurant. Run by followers of Supreme Master Ching Hai, the spiritually inspired menu expresses their teaching to not kill or harm living creatures. They teach that keeping a vegetarian diet is a gift which we give to ourselves to feel better, lighten karmic indebtedness, and advance entrance into realms of inner experience. They also do outreach with a food booth at area events.

Loving Hut Hamilton 56 Hamilton Street, Worcester 508-831-1322 Tuesday - Saturday, 11 AM - 9 PM Sunday, 12 noon - 9 PM;closed Monday

Vegan Asian cuisine. This little storefront location is a favorite for locals seeking delicious veggie, tofu, and faux meat dishes in savory sauces. Spring rolls, chickun fingers and nuggets, seaweed vegetable tofu soup, and fried veggie drumsticks are a few of their many offerings. Big bowls of pho, the flavorful broth with veggies, keep people coming back for more.

Bela Vegetarian Restaurant 68 Masonic Street, Northampton 413-586-8011 Tuesday - Saturday, 12 noon - 8:30 PM Closed Sunday & Monday; cash only Offers tofu, tempeh, seitan entrees, soups, burgers, beans, veggies, pasta. In addition to their regular menu, Bela is known for its board of innovative daily specials which keeps regulars returning again and again to explore tofu, tempeh, polenta, pasta, and legumes in intriguing combinations and sauces, as well as creative salads, dressings, and desserts.

Caf Evolution 22 Chestnut St. Florence (Northampton), MA 413-586-0200 Monday - Wednesday, 7:30am - 4pm Thursday, 7:30am - 6pm Friday, 7:30am - 8pm Saturday, 9am. - 9pm Sunday, 10am - 2pm Brunch

All vegan. Salads, soups, peanut noodles, veggie chili, sandwiches and veggie burgers served on homemade organic sunflower oat bread, nachos, chili burrito , daily blackboard specials, and decadent vegan baked goods. Most produce and grains are organic. Sunday brunch includes waffles, pancakes, french toast, scrambled tofu, vegan omelets, breakfast burritos, and bagel sandwiches. The great food, along with comfy ambiance and a homey feeling make this a magnet meeting place.

Earthfoods Caf at UMass Amherst 310 Student Union 41 Campus Center Way, Amherst 413-545-1554 Monday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Open from the second week of each semester until the last week of classes. Closed over Winter and Summer breaks. This nonprofit, student-run vegetarian collective has been serving economical, healthy food to the community since 1976. They offer adelicious daily special such as Tofu Nori Rolls, Spinach Tofu Curry, Quesadillas, Tofu Pot Pie, Lentil Sheppard's Pie, Tofu Broccoli Peanut Stirfry, Veggie Almond Curry, Sweet & Sour Tofu, or Veggie Primavera. Their menu staples are rice and beans, tofu nuggets, fresh salad, veggie, soup, and dessert. Large and small portions are offered for most items. Bring your own plate or to-go containers and utensils and save money and the environment!

Haymarket Caf 185 Main Street, Northampton 413-586-9969 Monday - Thursday, 7am - 10pm Friday and Saturday, 7am - 11pm Sunday, 8am - 10pm

A social mecca with a hip coffee shop on the main level and a cafe on the lower level. The cafe offers an eclectic menu of international entrees such as Mediterranean Greek Artichoke Stew,Arroz a la Cubana, Sambar (athick and flavorful South Indian mild curry soup) and delectable salads,sandwiches, and specials.Breakfast offerings include a Fresh Fruit Bowl and Tofu Vegan Scramble with portabellas, roasted red peppers and potatoes, soy sausage andshallots. Cozy atmosphere adds to the attractiveness of this Noho favorite.

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